Packers vs. Vikings: Five Key Matchups

1. Packers front seven vs. Adrian Peterson—Stop Peterson and you beat the Vikings. He must not be permitted to get into the secondary. It’s a banged up Packers secondary and it has not fared well in the past in its attempts to tackle Peterson.

2. Tramon Williams vs. Greg Jennings—If you’re looking for a Vikings player that has motivation for this game, Jennings is the obvious candidate. This is his return to Green Bay, to play against his former team, which Jennings obviously felt snubbed him in free agency. Sam Shields (hamstring) and Micah Hyde (groin) are iffy for this one. The Packers need Williams to play a prominent role on Sunday.

3. Scott Tolzien vs. Christian Ponder—Who will play better? Tolzien has thrown five interceptions in the last two games and has a 68.2 passer rating. Ponder is embattled; his future with the Vikings is at issue and he currently has a 74.9 passer rating. On a cold day, passer rating will take on an even greater meaning. Playing well means not throwing interceptions.

4. Evan Dietrich-Smith vs. Kevin Williams—Dietrich-Smith is playing on a bad knee and Williams has long been one of the most underrated tackles in the league. He needs to be controlled for the Packers to be able to provide running room for Eddie Lacy. Running the ball will be big on Sunday.

5. Packers coverage teams vs. Vikings returners—Injuries are, again, depleting Packers special teams, and that’s a problem heading into a game against two dynamic return men, Cordarrelle Patterson and Marcus Sherels. Patterson has taken two kickoffs back for touchdowns, including a 109-yarder against the Packers. Sherels has a 16.3 punt return average and has returned one 86 yards for a touchdown.